Schengen biometrics explained: how EES works, when ETIAS arrives, and what Britain does instead

Since 10 April 2026 the Entry/Exit System has been running at every Schengen border crossing. The progressive rollout that began on 12 October 2025 is over: there are no more passport stamps, only a digital record with biometrics. Here is what now happens at the border, who is exempt, what comes next with ETIAS, and how entering Britain differs.

What is EES and what does it take from you?

EES is a shared database of every crossing of the Schengen external border. On your first entry after launch, border staff take your fingerprints and a facial image, and the file records your name, date of birth, travel document details and the time of each entry and exit. It replaces the passport stamp entirely: the date lives in a record, not in ink.

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That first registration takes longer than an ordinary check, which is exactly why queues grew in the early months. Later trips are quicker: the biometrics are already on file and the face is matched against them.

The system covers 29 countries: Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia, Czechia, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Italy, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, the Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden and Switzerland.

Who is exempt?

• EU and EFTA citizens, on a passport or national identity card;
• citizens of Andorra, San Marino, Monaco and Vatican City;
• holders of a residence permit or residence card issued by a Schengen state;
• holders of long-stay national visas;
• holders of valid local border traffic permits.

The key point for readers in Britain. British status — pre-settled, settled, a work or study visa, an eVisa — does not exempt you. Only a Schengen state's residence permit does. So someone on a Russian, Ukrainian, Kazakh, Moldovan or any other non-EU passport who lives in London goes through EES registration on the same terms as a tourist.

How is 90 in 180 counted now?

Border officers used to leaf through a passport and add up the stamps. The days are now counted automatically: 90 days of stay in any rolling 180-day window, measured backwards from each day of the trip — not from the start of the year and not from the date of the visa.

The practical conclusion is unwelcome but honest: "staying on a bit" no longer works. An overstay shows up instantly and stays on the record — at your next entry it is part of your history.

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What is ETIAS and when does it start?

ETIAS is not a visa but a pre-travel authorisation for nationals of visa-exempt countries. Launch is expected in the fourth quarter of 2026, about a year after EES became fully operational.

• Cost — €20 for applicants aged 18 to 70. Under-18s and over-70s pay nothing but still apply.
• Validity — three years or until the passport expires, whichever comes first.
• What it grants — the same 90 days in 180, no more.
• Decision times — most applications are answered automatically within minutes; some take up to 30 days.

There is a transitional period: for at least six months after launch, applications are accepted but not yet compulsory, followed by a grace period of the same length. So nobody is being turned back at the border on day one because of ETIAS.

Note that ETIAS applies to visa-exempt nationals. If you already need a Schengen visa, ETIAS neither replaces it nor simplifies anything.

What does EES mean for Russian passport holders?

Multiple-entry visas are issued far more sparingly. Russian nationals who do not justify a need for frequent travel receive them in only two situations: as spouses, children or parents of EU citizens or residents, valid for one year, or as transport workers, valid for nine months. Separately, since 19 September 2022 several countries have refused Russian nationals entry for tourism, business, sport or culture: Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, Czechia and Finland. Spain has required an airport transit visa from Russian nationals since 12 July 2025.

And what about Britain?

Britain is not in Schengen, so neither EES nor ETIAS applies here. It runs its own scheme: the Electronic Travel Authorisation.

• Who needs it — most visitors who do not need a visa for short stays of up to six months, EU citizens included.
• Cost — £20.
• Validity — two years or until the passport expires, whichever is sooner, with unlimited journeys in that time, each up to six months.
• Who is exempt — British and Irish citizens, including dual nationals; anyone with permission to live, work or study in the UK; passengers transiting Heathrow and Manchester without passing through passport control; legal residents of Ireland travelling within the Common Travel Area.
• How long it takes — a decision usually arrives within minutes in the app, but applying at least three working days ahead is advised.

From the scheme's launch in October 2023 to the end of 2025, 24.8 million authorisations were issued. And the part people forget: an ETA does not guarantee entry — the officer at the border still decides.

What should you check before travelling?

1. Passport validity. For Schengen it must have been issued within the last ten years and remain valid for at least three months after your planned departure.
2. Your own day count. Work out 90 in 180 by hand before you go — a mistake is now spotted immediately.
3. Time at the airport. First EES registration takes longer than an ordinary check.
4. ETA for visitors. If relatives from visa-exempt countries are coming to you, the authorisation is arranged in advance, three working days minimum.
5. A non-British passport. British status does not exempt you from EES: allow for biometric registration on your first trip to Europe.

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